Bedtime stories are typically considered child's play. But one Brooklyn artist is out to change that notion, by offering adults around the city the opportunity to be softly lulled to sleep to by her gentle tones. The only catch? You have to invite her over first.
Madhu Kaza has concocted a project at gallery/reading room Proteus Gowanus called "Here is Where We Meet," in which she will travel to people's homes by appointment to read to them at bedtime. You must fill out an application answering questions like "please describe your bedtime rituals" and "list a few books that you love." Kaza has some restrictions—she will only read to one person at a time ("if you have a bedmate, please schedule an appointment only if you can make arrangements to sleep alone"), she will record the readings, and she needs to be able to let herself out of the home and lock the door behind her.
The project is part of Kaza's ongoing "Hospitality" series, which explores social conventions and rituals of daily life. So far, she's done eight readings, all to women, with books ranging from The Princess and the Pea to Metamorphosis. Brooklyn Based has a firsthand account of what it's like to invite Kaza into your bedroom, which, in this instance, went off without a hitch. Would you invite a stranger into your home to read you off to sleep? If so, apply right over here.
